I'll Love You Longer Than Forever

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty One

Riddhima woke up early, a huge smile on her face. It was finally here. Her wedding day was here. She was going to get married to the love of her life in a matter of hours. She remembered feeling something similar the same exactly a year ago... the day her and Armaan had their roka. She had been so happy and excited that day, so full of joy she felt she might burst from it. She hadn't thought she could ever be happier than she had been that day. How wrong she had been. The exuberance she felt today was not something she had ever felt before. Maybe, she never would. Today was the beginning of the rest of her life, and she couldn't contain herself.

She got dressed quickly, and tiptoed out of her room, pretty sure that everyone else was still asleep. She needed some time to herself. The last few days had been full of people in the best way possible, but she needed to not be with others right now, to breathe alone, to have this moment all to herself before she became a part of a couple forever. Because, as excited as she was, she was also scared. She would be leaving her home with her parents to make a new one with her husband. She loved Armaan and she knew he loved her. She knew that she would be very happy with him, perhaps happier than she had been while living with her father, given how intent Armaan seemed to be on spoiling her with anything and everything that he could. But, leaving her family behind was not easy.

There were so many things she would miss when she didn't live with her family. She would miss waking Anjali up every morning, thinking up new ways to do so everyday. She would miss sharing breakfast with all of them. She would miss talking with Padma late into the night. She would miss being able to ask Shashank for advice by just walking into the next room. She would miss helping Nani in the kitchen. She would miss watching movies with Rahul, and she would miss sitting alone at her favourite spot in the house to read. She would miss the food her mom made, she would miss the discussions her and her father engaged in, she would miss helping her sister get ready. She would miss every little thing that had made their family in all the years they'd spent together.

But, that wasn't all she'd miss. She would miss her own bed that was so comfortable with all the pillows set just right. She would miss her dressing table which was at the perfect height. She would miss her wardrobe which miraculously fit all her clothes. She would miss her small study table where she'd studied for so long. She would miss her bookshelf which had grown up with her — from carrying nursery rhymes to fairytales to romance novels to medical texts. She would miss it all.

But, she was very eager to make new memories with Armaan in their home. She had waited for this day for so long and now it was finally here. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad. It was such a weird thing, to feel both these conflicting emotions so thoroughly.

"Hi," a soft voice whispered in her ear, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Armaan smiling down at her, his smile as bright as a million suns.

"Hi," she replied, mirroring his smile with one of her own. She patted the space next to her and Armaan immediately sat down, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Pata hai, Basket... Aaj na, main bohot zyada weird feel kar raha hoon," he said. "Maine aise pehle kabhi feel hi nahi kiya. Bohot darr lag raha hai, pata nahi main achcha husband banunga ya nahi... Tumhe woh saari khushi de paunga ya nahi jo tum deserve karti ho."

"Armaan, aur kuch ho na ho, lekin mujhe poora bharosa hai ki tum world ke best husband banoge," Riddhima assured him.

"Aur tum world ki best wife," Armaan told her. "Tum already best ho!"

Riddhima laughed. "I'm not so sure about that."

"I am," he asserted. "Jab hum hain... Toh phir kya gham hai?"

"That was too cheesy," she laughed, wrinkling her nose.

"Arre, yaar! Woh kal raat ko Champ ne zabardasti mujhe Baghban dikhayi kyuki usse bore ho raha tha," Armaan whined, making Riddhima laugh.